Everton should not be allowed to loan players like Romelu Lukaku, apparently (Picture: AP Photo/Jon Super)

Daily Mail journalist Martin Samuel is the latest person to highlight Everton’s use of the loan market.

Samuel stresses that Everton are working within the rules but are unfairly boosting their position by loaning players like Romelu Lukaku, Gerard Deulofeu and Gareth Barry.

He put a price-tag of £50million on all three of them and because Everton could not afford that fee, says they should not be allowed to have them and are exploiting an anomaly created by Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

Samuel’s comments stem from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger having a pop at the Toffees in the build-up to last week’s game at Goodison. One of a number of critical voices in recent months.

Teams have been loaning players between clubs for decades and Premier League clubs lending players to each other for several years with no complaints.

Why is it suddenly an issue?

Gareth Barry is on loan at Everton from Manchester City (Picture: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

The increase in inter-Premier League loans is borne out of the growth in squad size of wealthier Premier League sides. Players are hoovered up at a young age to prevent rivals from buying them (and latterly to try and pass FFP). However, these players have been left to stagnate in the reserves and many failed to fulfil their potential.

Surely that is more of an issue to be investigated and criticised?

This season Everton have given the established elite a real fight and some people really don’t like it

Everton having been signing top players on loan for years and no one appeared to care then, so why is there a fuss now?

It seems many would rather have the status quo, with the same teams winning everything every season and getting financially stronger in the process. This season, Roberto Martinez’s have given the established elite a real fight and some really don’t like it.

The signings of Deulofeu, Lukaku and Barry have definitely helped, but Everton’s success is built on more than three players.

Everton’s Leighton Baines is one of the best full-backs in the Premier League (Paul Ellis /AFP/Getty Images

Seamus Coleman and Leighton Baines are two of the Premier League’s finest full-backs. Phil Jagielka and Sylvain Distin are consistent as ever, while latterly young John Stones is pushing for an England call-up. In midfield, James McCarthy is a snip at £13million, Ross Barkley is one of the country’s leading lights and Steven Naismith is proving everyone wrong in attack.

But giving Everton credit doesn’t suit the narrative, an excuse has to be made to discredit their achievements and call for changes to further bolster the position of the elite.

I dearly hope Everton reach the Champions League, as it would offer hope to the majority of the league that you can break down barriers between the top four and the rest, even if it creates negative headlines.